Dow to clean up dioxin in Saginaw neighborhood

MIDLAND -- Dow Chemical Co. and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency have agreed on a plan requiring the company to clean up dioxin contamination in a Saginaw neighborhood.

EPA says tests in April revealed unacceptably high levels of dioxin in an area by the Lower Tittabawassee River. Dow says the contamination probably resulted from activity at its upstream Midland plant dating back a century or more.

Under the agreement, Dow will clean the interiors of 11 homes close to the river. Their yards will be excavated and backfilled with clean soil. Unpaved surfaces of Riverside Boulevard will be cleaned.

Work at the site is expected to begin late this month and continue through mid-October.

EPA says it will oversee the cleanup, in consultation with state agencies.